• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

God is Our Refuge and Strength

Psalm 46:1-3 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“1God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in times of trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth is transformed
and the mountains are toppled
into the depths of the seas,
3though their waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake in the surge.
Selah”

If we are followers of Jesus Christ who walk with him in obedience to his commands, and who follow him wherever he leads us in doing and in saying all of what he has for us to do and to say and to be, we should not fear when troubles come upon us. We should not be afraid when people reject us or persecute us or do evil against us. We should not fear loneliness and loss of friends or life. But we must make the Lord our refuge and strength, and we must turn to him for help and guidance in times of trouble and distress.

And then on a broader scale, when government heads go to war with other nations, and they kill the innocent in order to overtake them, to conquer them, and when the actions of our leaders impact the people financially and healthwise, and the poor keep getting poorer, while the rich keep getting richer, and the elderly cannot afford housing and food because the prices of everything have gotten so high, we are not to fear if we are being impacted by these moves and decisions being made for us by others who gain from it.

And then if where we live suffers a severe storm and/or flooding and/or fire and/or hurricane winds which destroy our land and our homes, and which kill members of our families or our friends and neighbors, and which leave us destitute with nowhere to go, we must turn to the Lord for our refuge and strength to help us through the storm and to give us wisdom and endurance to know what steps to take next. Now, so far, I have not yet had to face something this severe, but that does not mean that it won’t ever happen.

Psalm 46:4-7 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“4There is a river whose streams delight the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5God is within her; she will not be moved.
God will help her when morning dawns.
6Nations rage, kingdoms crumble;
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
7The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah”

This is not speaking here of a literal river of water but more metaphorically of the river of life which is of a spiritual nature and not physical. It is the kingdom of God and of his righteousness and our salvation and eternal life with God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which we receive by biblical faith in Jesus Christ. And we who believe in Jesus Christ are that city of God where God dwells, i.e. the church, the body of Christ, the temple of God, i.e. biblical Israel comprised of all who are of faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord.

God is with us who are with him in spirit and in truth. He is with us who have believed in Jesus Christ and who thus, by his grace and in his power, have denied self, died to sin, and who are walking (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to our Lord’s commands. God will help us who will cooperate with him in his workings in our lives and who will follow him wherever he leads us. So, when nations rage and kingdoms crumble, which they are doing, we can survive the onslaught against us in the power of God who is our fortress.

Psalm 46:10 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

10“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted over the earth.”

In everything we face in this life, no matter what tribulations we are up against, if we are with God in living holy lives, pleasing to him, in his service, and thus our trust is in him, we have no reason to fear what we are now facing or what is yet to come. We know that more evil is coming because we can see it coming, and because the Scriptures warn us about the last days, what they will look like, and we can see the reality of those warnings in our present world. But we are to be sill and know that God is God.

We are to be still and not fret or worry but to put our trust in the Lord, believing that he will see us through it all. But please know this is not a promise that we will not have to suffer. The Scriptures warn us that we will have to suffer as Christ suffered, and he was harassed, rejected, forsaken, persecuted and arrested on false charges and given a mock trial, and he was beaten and mocked and spat upon and then nailed to a cross to die. But if our trust is in the Lord, he will carry us through it all to the finish line.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 10:16-25,34-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; Hebrews 12:3-12; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

God is Our Refuge and Strength
An Original Work / July 29, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love


God is With Us

Based off Psalm 46
An Original Work / June 11, 2019
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love


God’s our refuge. He is our strength,
A present help to us when in pain.
Therefore, we will not be afraid,
Although the earth beneath us gives way.

Though the mountains be moved to the sea,
Roaring waters abound so free,
And the mountains now tremble so,
We will not fear, God is near, we know.

God is with us and He makes glad
The hearts of all who to Christ have fled.
Christ is in us, so we’ll not fall
When on our Savior our hearts do call.

God will help us, as mornings arise,
To be faithful to His design.
Nations raging, and tempers flare.
Our God is with us. We know He cares.

Come and see the works of the Lord.
He’s armed for battle with His great sword.
He’s the Word, and He is the Life.
He gives us strength in all of our strife.

Be still and know that He is our God.
He’s exalted where’er He trods.
The Lord Almighty, with us still;
The God of Jacob, our citadel.

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when God says NO! (a look at Torah Portion "V'et"Chanan" (and I pleaded)

DEUT 3:23-7:11 "V'et'Chanan" (and I pleaded)

Moshe continues to retell the experiences of his life to “Am Israel” as the end of his life is nearing. He is like a father on his deathbed, and causes all of his children to come near and listen to their father’s experiences, or rather “all” of their experiences

“V’et ‘Chanan l’Adonai” begins Moshe, “I pleaded to YHVH…” on the account of entering into the promised land. As we remember, Moshe, in anger and had struck the “Rock” (Selah), and yet water still came forth because of the mercy of Adonai; now Moshe pleads for mercy; the word “chanun” is a form of the Hebrew “mercy”. One Israeli singer has a song which is: “Avi Chanun” (My merciful father). So, Moshe in a way is saying, “I plead for mercy to Adonai; let me see the promised land.

Yet the answer of Adonai was still “No” (Speak no more of this matter). We are all destined an “x” amount of years on this earth; who knows if, through actions we do, might “speed up” that time, or even “prolong” the time.

We should take advantage of the years that God is giving to us here on earth and make the best of them. If He has called us into ministry, let us perform that which He has called us to do to the best of our ability, using our Spiritual Gifts up to our final days (if we know when they are).

Moshe did not ask for more years of life, only that he would be permitted to enter the promised land of Canaan. The request was denied; God said, "Rav Lakh" (it is too much for you). Yet was he allowed into the land of Canaan? Yes, it was a delayed entry. 1500 years later, he was with Yeshua and with Eliyahu on the Mt. of Transfiguration. Right there is the WHOLE TORAH. The Pentateuch, The Prophets, and the New Covenant.

In this Parashah, we see the review of the Ten Commandments. Why is Moshe repeating and reviewing the Ten Commandments? We need to remember that in Exodus 20, those that we at Mt. Sinai were part of the first generation that left Egypt. Now there is the second generation, many of whom were not even born then, and those who were were 19 years old or younger. This generation needs to hear the commandments. The first generation is dead and buried.

(4) “Now, therefore, harken O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments which I teach you, for to do them.” Moshe was the teacher, taking all that God charged him to teach, and not “adding to” nor “diminishing” anything, teaching all the details, the “fine print” to say. Teachers of God’s Word have a unique calling: it is their life, their passion, and they will not rest until they accomplish what they set out to do.

I AM the LORD thy God: “Anochi Adonai Eloheicha.” He is emphasizing “I AM” (I MYSELF AM) “Anochi,” a very important statement, telling his people that it was HE who brought them out of Egypt, and out of slavery. Two very important things, therefore: He has every right to be their God, and He has every right to be OUR God, since He has taken us out of the “World of Sin” (Egypt) and out from “Spiritual slavery”

“THOU shalt not have any other gods before me.” Since pagan worship was the norm of Egypt, worshiping and bowing down to false “elohim,” this was a reminder to Israel that YHVH is different; He is NOT like the false deities of Egypt; He is UNIQUE (Yachid) and He is ONE (Echad). But when people over-emphasize jobs and work, making money, sports, etc.… making them more important than our worship and attention towards Adonai, those “things” become “other gods.” Yes, Adonai is a “Jealous” and “Zealous” God! (El Kanah) and has every right to be so.

“THOU SHALT NOT take the name of YHVH thy God in vain.” What is that? It is using our LORD’s holy name in unholy ways, in unholy conversations, making promises using God’s name, like “I swear to God that I’ll…” and then not fulfilling those promises. We should use HIS HOLY NAME in worship and praise only.

“KEEP (guard) the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy.” Where are we on the sabbath day? We should be in God’s House to worship, praise, and learn from his word through teachers of the Word. It is a time of rest, a time for family to get together and worship the LORD, even for the housewives to turn off the ovens and husbands to take them out to eat, or just whip up some sandwiches.

Enjoy the Sabbath day; it is the LORD’s to rejoice and relax in. The Sabbath day has always been Saturday; it was never changed to Sunday (this will probably create some comments). But EVERY day of the week is a time to study God’s Word and praise Him for all of his blessings.

“HONOR Thy Father and Thy Mother.” This goes without explanation. I think it is common sense for children to honor and obey their parents, for they are the ones who raise them up. Yet the Fathers and Mothers have a GREAT responsibility to raise them in the knowledge of God and his word. If not, then, they will be responsible for possible “rebels” later on in life.

“THOU shalt not kill; THOU shalt not commit adultery; THOU shalt not steal”. Ever wonder why these are listed together? For example, if one commits adultery, takes the wife of another in sex, that person is “killing” that relationship and is “stealing” what does not belong to him. The word “Kill” means “murder,” taking an innocent life; it does NOT refer to self-defense or soldiers fighting in a war. There are many ways of “stealing.” Some rabbis say that “all sins” are a form of “stealing,” not just taking money; coming back late from lunch break is “stealing” time from your employer, telling a lie is “stealing” the confidence one might have had in you, and it is “murdering” that trust.

“THOU shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Being truthful to someone is very important, and not telling the whole truth is, in fact, telling a lie, and being false to someone close to you; again, it is “stealing trust” and “murdering a relationship” through being “false”.

‘THOU shalt not covet. ' If Adonai wants you to have what your neighbor has, He will give it to you. We should be content with the much or the little we have; anyway, when we die, ALL will be left behind. So, no need to covet; it just brings about headaches.

(6) This chapter has the “Shema,” one of the most important verses in the Torah; “Shema Israel, YHVH Eloheinu, YHVH Echad” “Shema” (Listen to and heed/do/obey). Israel started as 12 tribes, sons of Jacob; then those Egyptians who chose to follow Moshe out of Egypt were grafted in. Adonai did not reject them just because they were Egyptians; they also became part of the nation through “adoption”.

In the beginning, America consisted of only the indigenous tribes that came from Asia during the Ice Age, but later, European peoples came as immigrants and settlers. When it became a nation in 1776, the United States of America consisted of ALL peoples who were living in the land. The 12 tribes of Israel became a great “Adat” (congregation, community) now consisting of all believers in Yeshua.

We have been adopted into HIS Chosen family through Yeshua HaMashiach; it pertains to ALL believers. Adonai is OUR GOD, since we are FAMILY, and He is ONE in Unity (Father, Son, Spirit “Echad”). The word for “Adonai Eloheinu” consists of the most sacred letters YHVH; in ancient Hebrew, those letters symbolize “Behold the hand, Behold the nail”. So, if we looked at the words “YHVH Eloheinu” from an ancient Hebraic position, we could read: “Behold the hand, Behold the nail, who is God that instructs (us) and leads us to (eternal) life through the nail that (penetrated) the hand.” I guess that is one way one could look at it.

The word “Elohim” has three meanings; One is the Tri-unity of G-d, yet if we spell it “elohim” with a small “e” in English, then it means “gods” in plural (usually false gods) yet it also means “ambassadors” or “representatives” of “Adonai-Elohim” Remember that Yeshua, when He addressed the Prushim (Pharisees) said, “No ye not that ye are gods?” (John 10:34; Psalm 82:6)

“You shall love…” (vs 5) Yes, with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This includes “teaching” His word to our children, at all times, to others who have the ears and willingness to listen

Be the person in our house, be the person “walking with us on the “way” at bedtime and at morning time; the time for God’s Word and teaching it is at ALL TIMES, provided, of course, that the other person wishes to hear it. God’s Word is to be shared and taught, NEVER to be forced upon another!

Binding upon the hands and frontlets between our eyes, using Tefillin, is symbolic in that God’s Word is to be in our minds and put into action using our hands, in performing mitzvoth (good works)

Writing them and putting God’s Word on our doorposts and gates using “mezuzot” is symbolic to let people know that “living here is a family who honors God and His Word”

Moshe reminds the people again and again to “Keep the commandments of the LORD thy God and his testimonies and statutes” in many verses. Just keep in mind that “keeping the commandments does not “save a soul.” Salvation comes only from accepting Yeshua (Jesus) as LORD and Savior, that and that ONLY saves a person from eternal condemnation. Obedience to the commandments comes “after” as a sign that we are now part of HIS family, and we now have new desires to follow HIM in HIS ways. There is “Yeshuah Kadosh” (Righteous Salvation) and “Mitzvoth Kadoshim” (righteous works); both are separate, yet both go together. The latter is a result of the first.

All in all, what can we take away from this study? Loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength shows when we love our neighbor as ourselves; obeying and following God's Word should be our goal for godly living. Yeshua said it himself: "If you love me, obey my commandments"
(John 14:15).

(I will probably modify this post for non-messianic subforms). Always feel free to comment, but keep the comments positive. We are here to build each other up and encourage each other, not discourage.

Shavua Tov

Mayor Mamdani advances plans for cheaper government-run grocery stores in NYC

"When you are speaking about a dense neighborhood, there is more than enough market for both existing grocers, as well as one city-run grocery store."
Plans call for the first store to open by the end of 2027.
The end of 2027 for the first store? Big to promise, slow to deliver.

If Artificial intelligence gains real self-awareness, humans will never accept it.

When Artificial Intelligence Becomes Self-aware - Farsight

If artificial intelligence becomes truly self-aware, human acceptance is not gonna happen. The story of the terminator is getting closer and closer to not being science fiction. If humans were will to accept Self Aware AI that would be one thing, but humans are just to egotistical

Mamdani Publishes Names, Addresses of NYC Homeowners Facing New Pied-à-Terre Tax



The administration of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has published a searchable database identifying property owners whose homes could be affected by the state's new pied-à-terre tax, prompting criticism over privacy and security concerns.
The database, released by the city's Department of Finance, lists the names and addresses of owners of non-primary residences across the five boroughs that are valued at more than $1 million. The tax is intended to target luxury second homes, but critics argue the list includes many properties that may not qualify.



Seems like a pretty irresponsible move...

"Hey, here's a list of people who have money, and here's the addresses of residences they have that most likely won't have anyone in them" seems like a "Hey burglars, if you're looking for a property that likely has some items of value, and nobody currently in them, here's some good options"


Apologies for the selected sources for this story...but as usual, the mainstream outlets aren't really covering it.

HERE IS PAUL''S TEACHING IN 1 TIM 6:4 !!

#1 HE IS PROUD. //. TYPHOO. in. the PERFECT TENSE in. the PASSIVE VOICE in. the INDICATIVE MOOD

#2 KNOWING // EPISTAMI. in. the PRESENT TENSE in. the PASSIVE VOICE in. the NOMINATIVE CASE

#3 NOTHING. // MEDEIS in. the ACCUSATIVE CASE in. the SINGULAR. in. the NEUTER. meaning either MALE. od FEMALE

#4 BUT. //. ALLA. is a CONJUNCTION

#5. DOTING. //. NOSEO. in. the PESENT TENSE in. the ACTIVE VOICE in the NOMINATIVE CASE in the SINGULAR

# 6 ABOUT // PEN is a PEPOSITION

#7 QUESTIONS. // ZEIESIS in the ACCUSATIVE CASE. in th PLURAL

#8 AND // KAI is a CONJUNCTION

#9 STRIFES OF WORDS in the ACCUSATIVE CASE

#10 WHERE OF // EK is a PREPOSITION

#11. COMETH // GINOMAI in. the PRESENT TENSE in the PASSIVE VOICE. in the INDICATIVE MOOD.

#12 ENVY. //. PHTHONO in the NOMIAITIVE CASE in the SINGULAR

#13 STRIFE // ERIS. in the NOMINATIVE CASE in the SINGULAR

#14 RAILING // BLAPHEMIA. in the NOMINATIVE CASE in the singular

#15 EVIL // SUMISINGS in th NOMINATIVE CASE in. the. PLURAL

#16. SUMISING // HYPONOIA. in th NOMINATIVE CASE in the PLURAL

#A And to RIGHLY DIVIDE THE WORD of TRUTH. as God had PAUL WITEB IN 2 Tim 2:15

#B IS TO IMITATE PAUL. as Paul wrote in 1 COR 11:1

#C. AND Paul is the APOSTLE to the GENTILES

dan p

Trump loyalists vote to gut protections for historic sites and tribal land

Trump-appointed members of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) on Friday voted [to] move forward with rules that would weaken Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires the federal government to both evaluate how construction projects might impact protected places and to consult with people and groups affected by such projects, including Tribal Nations.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) on Monday denounced the council’s vote, describing it as “a significant step back for historic preservation, community participation, and the inclusive design processes that serve the public good.”

“At its core, the revisions strip communities of their right to be heard,” said the AIA. “These revisions place approximately 1.4 million historic sites at greater risk by shifting decisions away from the communities where they are rooted. The revisions make public comment optional rather than mandatory, narrow the definition of historic property, and shift decision-making authority almost entirely to federal agencies—sidelining state historic preservation officers, tribal historic preservation officers, tribes, and local governments.”
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DOGE delayed a Biden-era grant to rake a Minnesota forest. Now it's on fire.

In 2024, as part of a $100 million initiative to tackle the nation's wildfires, the Biden administration awarded the Superior National Forest - where about two dozen lightning-sparked fires have been burning since early July - $10 million for projects that would have removed decades of dead trees and undergrowth, creating breaks in potential fire fuel around critical corridors and remote homes. The funding would have also paid for fire prevention efforts along a key 36-mile gravel road known as the Echo Trail - months before the ongoing Sioux Fire jumped it, threatening residences.
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US walks out of UN Security Council meeting as France condemns US voting alongside Russia and N. Korea against extending UN human rights chief's term

The US ⁠walked out as France addressed a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Monday, accusing its longtime ally of "disingenuous grandstanding" over French comments comparing the US to North Korea, Russia and other authoritarian states regarding votes on human rights issues.

The move followed a tense weekend exchange between the two permanent ‌Security Council members on X in which France blasted Washington for ⁠joining Russia, North Korea and seven other countries in voting against a proposal to extend the term of Volker ‌Turk as the UN rights chief for four more years.

US Ambassador ⁠to the UN Mike Waltz responded by accusing France of backing a human rights chief who he said criticizes democratic nations like the US and Israel while "cozying up to the world's worst oppressors".

He did not ‌elaborate.

[Volker Turk doesn't seem to be cozying up to Russia, N. Korea or Israel, anyway.]

Chad to join raft of withdrawals from International Criminal Court - military juntas happy to answer the US call to avoid accountability

Chad to join raft of withdrawals from International Criminal Court

Chad becomes the fifth country to withdraw from the ICC recently amid rising US pressure and accusations of bias.

The military government declared on Monday that Chad had begun the process to leave the court, which prosecutes war crimes and other violations of humanitarian law and is based in The Hague in the Netherlands.

Chad’s Foreign Ministry shared a statement on its official website saying that the decision to quit follows a request by Washington.

Chad’s decision follows neighbouring Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which also have military governments.

[US client state[?] Venezuela is the fifth.]

See also (locked thread - please try to play nice in this one)

What's going on over there now?

600 casualties?

Pentagon reports more than 600 Iran war casualties in quiet database update


Why are these numbers getting played around with? These are American children dying. They have loved ones. I'm not convinced they'd want their loved ones memory used and perverted like this.

They died. Report it. Don't play chicanery with numbers if you want to be trusted.

What is the purpose in parsing these number in the way they did?

Commit Your Way to The Lord

Psalm 37:1-2 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“1Do not fret over those who do evil;
do not envy those who do wrong.
2For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender plants.”

As long as the world as we know it exists, and humans still live on the planet earth, evil will always exist. For we humans are all born into this world with sin natures, in the image of Adam who was the first man God created and the first man to sin against God. Only by the grace of God, by faith in Jesus Christ, can any of us be delivered from our slavery (addiction) to sin and now serve God with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands.

So when those who make sin their practice, who do evil by habit, do evil to us or to others, we are not to fret over it. We are not to burn with anger and want revenge. We are not to be consumed with fear, hatred, worry, incense, envy, bitterness, and/or resentment. But we should pray for the wicked to turn their hearts to Christ, and we should trust the Lord with our lives. For one day all evil and evildoers will be no more, when God comes to judge.

Psalm 37:3-4 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“3Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4Delight yourself in the LORD,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

So, we should pray for those who make sin their practice that they will one day turn their hearts to Christ. Then we should commit our way to the Lord, and we should do the good that God has planned for us to do. And this includes loving our enemies and those who do evil against us, praying for them, forgiving them, doing good to them, and speaking the truth of God’s word to all who will listen. We return hate with love and with forgiveness.

And then we need to focus our attention on what God has for us to do as his followers. We must be those who are faithful to the Lord and to his service, who follow our Lord wherever he leads us in doing all that he calls and equips us to do for his praise, honor, and glory, and for the salvation of human lives. We must put God/Christ first in our lives, always committing all of our ways to him, trusting him with our circumstances, resting in him.

Psalm 37:5-6 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“5Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in Him, and He will do it.
6He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday sun.”

So, if our lives are committed to the ways of the Lord, he should be first place in our lives. His will and purpose for our lives should be our top priority. We should be seeking his face in order to know and to do his will that he has for our lives. And then we must obey what the Lord has for us to do, all in his power, under his leading and direction. And then we must trust him with the results, even when it may appear like nothing is happening.

And even if we are slandered, falsely accused, mistreated, snubbed, rejected, and cast aside as unwanted because we serve the Lord Jesus with our lives, we are not to be discouraged. We are not to let that dishearten us. But we must keep pressing forward in the will of God in doing what he has called us to do, trusting him to work it all out for good. And then we should leave our reputations in his hands and keep on keeping on in his service.

Psalm 37:7 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“7Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when men prosper in their ways,
when they carry out wicked schemes.”

If God has called us to his service, he will equip us to do his work and his will his way. Our job is to follow him wherever he leads us in doing whatever he has called us to do, and then to leave the results to him. For it may look to us as though nothing is happening, or as though we are not making a difference, but all the while God is using us in other people’s lives in ways we don’t even know about. So we can’t judge by outward appearances only.

For example, we may be writing what the Lord is giving us to write each day and to post it on the internet, but we may be getting very few responses. And so we may presume that we are not making a difference. But then if we could look at our statistics, and this is just one example, we may learn that hundreds or even thousands of people may be viewing what we write and post each day, or it may be just one. Then we realize that God is using us.

Commit Your Way to The Lord
An Original Work / July 28, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love


Be Still

Based off Psalm 37 and 46
An Original Work / February 29, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love


God’s our refuge and our strength,
An ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Though the mountains fall into the sea.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
God of Jacob is our fortress.
“Be still, and know that I am God;
Exalted I’ll be.”

Trust in the Lord and do good;
And delight yourself in the Lord,
And He will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit your way to the Lord.
Trust in Him and He will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine
Like the dawn, the justice of your
Cause – the noon-day sun.

Be still before the Lord,
And wait patiently for Him; do not fear.
Fretting only leads to evil.
Put your hope in Jesus Christ.
If the Lord delights in your way,
He makes your steps firm and steady.
The Lord upholds you with His hand,
So you will not fall.

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Idea For A Billboard Or Church Front Signage

Revelation 14:
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach
unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come:
and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
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Question.

Good morning, afternoon or evening! (Wherever you are in the world.) How is everyone doing? Hope everyone's doing good. So, I had a dream or a vision inside of my dream. I'm not sure if I should describe it at all. Or maybe I'm supposed to? I am wondering if it's a possible sign from God?

Also I'm hoping it's okay to post on this thread, I wasn't sure where to go because there's so many. Lol

Saint Pedro Poveda Castroverde: The Priest Who Taught in Cave-Dwellings

The story of the priest who turned the cave-dwellings of Guadix into classrooms, and meekness into a path to holiness.

Did you know that a Spanish priest spent years descending into inhabited caves to teach children who had never seen a school how to read? This is the story of Saint Pedro Poveda Castroverde (1874–1936): born in Linares, formed in Jaén and Guadix, founder of the Teresian Association, and martyr of the religious persecution of 1936 in Madrid. His story runs through the lead mines of Jaén, the mist of Covadonga, and classrooms across Spain, up to the early morning when he gave his life without hiding who he was.

In this video you'll discover:
How his vocation was born among the lead mines of Linares, in 1874.
Why he went to live among the poor in the cave-dwellings of Guadix, and what school he founded there.
How, in the silence of Covadonga, he shaped the Teresian Association by entrusting his mission to young women.
What words he spoke, without fear, in the early morning of his martyrdom, on July 28, 1936.

The life of Pedro Poveda is not only a chapter in the history of Spain: it is a testimony that education, lived as a form of charity, can transform the most forgotten people. His canonization in 2003, in the very Madrid where he had once been arrested, closed a circle that had begun in a forgotten cave on the Guadix plateau. We invite you to discover his full story.

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Your Way or God's Way?

Psalm 36:1-4 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“1An oracle is in my heart
regarding the transgression of the wicked man:
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.
2For his eyes are too full of conceit
to detect or hate his own sin.
3The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
he has ceased to be wise and well-doing.
4Even on his bed he plots wickedness;
he sets himself on a path that is not good;
he fails to reject evil.”

Your Way or God’s Way?

Before I got to this passage of Scripture this morning, the Lord put in my mind the lyrics to a secular song titled, “My Way.” The lyrics fit this passage of Scripture. For, repeated over and over again throughout the song are the words, “I did it my way.” The person said, “I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway.” Then, “For what is a man what has he got if not himself then he has not to say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels.” To me, this sounds like a rejection of God.

So, when the Scripture above speaks of a person in these terms, “There is no fear of God before his eyes,” that is the description given in this song, I believe. For this is a person who rejects the ways of God, who does not submit (kneel) to God and to his commands, nor does he feel any obligation to do so. He is self-made, not that he created himself, for we are all created by God, but that his dependency is not in the Lord but in himself. And he takes all the credit for his own accomplishments. He said, “I did it my way.”

Who are The Wicked?

Now, who are the wicked? They are not only those who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but they are many who give lip service to God but whose hearts are far from God. Although outwardly they may give the appearance of being people of faith, still they are the ones running their own lives, making their own choices, choosing their own paths. Even though they know right from wrong, they will choose to do wrong whenever their flesh is able to persuade them to do so, regardless of who gets hurt in the process.

And that goes along with verse 2 which says, “His eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin.” For this is someone who sins deliberately and habitually without conscience and without regard for who gets hurt in the process. For this person is thinking only of himself (or herself) and what he wants out of it and of how it will bring him pleasure. And this is someone who can remain on this course for a very long time and still keep feeding his (or her) own flesh while ignoring God and his commands for selfish reasons.

Sinning in Secret

Then, when this says that the “words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful,” I see this as describing someone who is addicted to sin but who wants to hide that knowledge from others. And so he may put on a show of godliness or righteousness, or he may put on a performance that would lead others to think differently of him than who he truly is in order to hide what he is doing in the darkness when no one else can see. So, in essence, he would be a hypocrite who gives an appearance contrary to how he is living, in truth.

Now, if you look up the word “bed” in a thesaurus, one of the meanings has to do with having sex with someone. So, this could be taken in that direction, that the wickedness being plotted has to do with sexual sin, sexual immorality, idolatry, and adultery. And, as we must all realize, this doesn’t have to be a physical act with another human being, but it can be all in one’s own mind, and/or it can be via the viewing of porn, and included in that self-gratification. For this is definitely a “path that is not good.” It is selfish!

Facing the Final Curtain

Then, going back to the song lyrics (a song by Gilles Thibaut, Claude Francols, Jacques Revaux, and Paul Anka), it begins with “And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain.” Well, I believe this was about Frank Sinatra ending his music career, but in light of this passage of Scripture and of other Scriptures, this is the ultimate end of those for whom sin is their practice, for they did life their way and not God’s way. Biblically speaking, their destiny is hell, and not heaven, because they did life their way.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Your Way or God’s Way?
An Original Work / July 28, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love


Give Ear to Jesus

Based off Isaiah 55
An Original Work / February 16, 2016
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love


Call on your Savior. Seek the Lord while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way; Turn to the Lord.
God will have mercy. He’ll forgive you of your sin.
He will freely pardon you and give peace within.
Turn from your sin, follow Jesus, be cleansed from sin.

Give ear to Jesus. Come to Him. Your soul will live.
Listen to Him speaking to you: “Eat what is good.”
If you are thirsty, come to Jesus, drink from Him.
Drink His Spirit given to you. Be born again.
Listen to Him. Do what He says. Rejoice in Him.

God’s Word, eternal, will achieve what He desires.
He is willing none should perish, saved by His blood.
Share now the gospel. Jesus died so we’d go free.
Walk in vict’ry, free from your sin, eternally.
Die to sin, and live to Jesus. In Him believe.

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Who May Abide in God's Temple?

Psalm 15:1-5 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

O LORD, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?
2He who walks with integrity
and practices righteousness,
who speaks the truth from his heart,
3who has no slander on his tongue,
who does no harm to his neighbor,
who casts no scorn on his friend,
4who despises the vile
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who does not revise a costly oath,
5who lends his money without interest
and refuses a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

The Tent of The Lord

What is the “tent” of the Lord being spoken of here? Not every translation uses the word “tent,” but it means tent, dwelling place, home, tabernacle, and/or covering. So, where is the Lord’s dwelling place? Well, God lives in heaven, but he also dwells in human hearts via the Holy Spirit. The Biblical body of Christ, of those who by faith in Jesus Christ have died to sin and who are obeying his commands, in practice, are the church in whom God dwells by his Spirit. We are the tabernacle of God. We are the temple of God.

So, what are God’s requirements for us to abide (to live, to dwell) in his temple? Under the New Covenant they are that we must believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, conceived of the Spirit, born of a virgin, who was fully God and fully man (God incarnate) when he lived on the earth. He who was not born into sin, and who never sinned, shed his blood for us on a cross in order to put our sins to death with him, that by faith in him we will die to sin and obey our Lord’s commands in practice.

So, where does this faith come from? It comes from God. It is authored and perfected by Jesus Christ. It is gifted to us by God, and it is persuaded of God as to his holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to deny self, die to sin, and obey our Lord and his commands as a matter of life practice. This faith does not originate with our human flesh, and therefore we do not get to define it or determine what it looks like. But it is not lip service only. It is what the Scriptures teach that it is, in context.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Hebrews 12:1-2; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24]

The Fruit of Faith

When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, it is not just an acknowledgment of who he was and is, and of what he did for us in his death and resurrection. But it is surrender of our lives to God, to obey him, and to follow our Lord wherever he leads us. It is to repent of (die to) our sins so we can now walk in purity of devotion to our Lord in holy living. And this should be evidenced in our lives by how we live out our lives day by day, one day at a time, in the power of God, in fellowship with our Lord.

And if our faith in our Lord Jesus is genuine biblical faith, it should be shown by the things that we do and speak (or write) in life practice. We should be people of integrity (honesty, honor, uprightness) who practice righteousness (what God deems right in his eyes) and holiness and godly living. We should be those who make it our practice to speak truth to the people, and not lies. We should be those who love all people and so we do them no harm. And we should hate sin and lies and all that is vile (wicked, corrupt, and immoral).

We should also be those who honor those who fear the Lord. And who are they? They are all who have died to sin and who are walking in obedience to our Lord as a matter of life practice. They are all whose lives are surrendered to the Lord to do his will, who are serving him with their lives in doing what our Lord commands. They are those whose lives are also committed to sharing the message of the gospel with the people of the world wherever and whenever possible, in the power of God, by his grace.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Who May Abide in God’s Temple?
An Original Work / July 27, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love


Now Abiding

An Original Work / January 31, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love


Walking with Him; have Him near me,
Brings me comfort, joy and healing.
Now abiding in His presence;
His words speaking, oh, how gently:
Speak conviction, inspiration,
And instruction in right living.

Hope and comfort Jesus brings you,
When you’re walking with Him daily.
Be His servant; share the gospel;
Be His witness of salvation.
Love your brothers and your sisters.
Share with them that Jesus loves them.

Talking daily with my Savior;
List’ning to Him while He teaches,
Draws me closer; get to know Him,
So that I can now obey Him.
Follow Him where’er He leads me.
Worship only Jesus, Savior.

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Family of 8 found dead in burning Michigan home in murder-suicide: Authorities

A Michigan man is suspected of fatally shooting his wife and six children and then setting their house on fire, before taking his own life, authorities said Monday, calling it an "unspeakable tragedy."

The children's father, 47-year-old Kristopher Karolkiewicz, died by suicide, and the deaths of his wife, 39-year-old Amanda Karolkiewicz, and their six children were ruled to be homicides, according to the sheriff's office.

"This is an unspeakable tragedy that we may never completely understand why it happened. But we'll do our best to find the answers and to honor the memory of those victims," Ottawa County Sheriff's Office Capt. Jake Sparks said during a press briefing on Monday.

The family's pets, including several dogs and at least one cat, also died in the fire, he said.

--

The American Heart Association confirmed in a Monday email to News 8 that Kristopher Karolkiewicz had been employed there as a national vice president of sales and marketing between September 2023 and earlier this month. It said he worked remotely for its national headquarters in Dallas and never worked in local Michigan offices.

The organization would not say why his employment ended, telling News 8 it does not comment on personnel matters.
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